What are the maritime security challenges in India? Discuss the organisational, technical and procedural initiatives taken to improve maritime security. (UPSC 2022)

India’s maritime security is shaped by a long coastline, busy sea lanes and growing dependence on ports, energy assets and undersea cables. The threats are wider than piracy; they include terrorism, smuggling, illegal fishing and grey-zone competition in the Indian Ocean.

• Key challenges: cross-border infiltration, drug and arms trafficking, vessel hijacking, cyber attacks on ports, and sabotage of offshore infrastructure.
• Organisational measures: a three-tier coastal security system involving marine police, Coast Guard and Navy; joint operation centres; and better inter-agency coordination through the National Maritime Domain Awareness set-up.
• Technical measures: coastal radar chains, Automatic Identification System, satellite-based vessel tracking, long-range identification and tracking, and real-time information sharing through the Information Fusion Centre.
• Procedural measures: regular exercises like Sea Vigil, port security audits, standard operating procedures for boarding and interception, and mandatory registration and identity checks for fishing vessels and crews.

These steps have improved surveillance and response, but India still needs deeper coordination, cyber resilience and stronger coastal capacity to secure its maritime frontiers.